I only watched Game of Thrones this year, so it was with great excitement that I reached for the DVD of House of the Dragon . I had serious doubts whether the series would live up to my expectations, but I was not disappointed.
When a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin
House of the Dragon takes the viewer back to Westeros – to familiar places such as King’s Landing and Dragonstone, long before the drastic events of the seventh and eighth seasons of Game of Thrones .
Getting to know Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors. It quickly turns out that the Red Keep has never been easy. The main characters of the story are Princess Rhaenyra, daughter of King Viserys and heir to the throne, and Alicent Hightower, daughter of the Viceroy. The plot of the series focuses even more on a topic raised quite often in the first seasons of Game of Thrones . We are talking about motherhood; about how much mothers would give to stand up for their children, who are the apple of their eye.
House of the Dragon emphasizes that being a woman in Westeros is a hard fate. We may have come to this conclusion before by looking at well-written female characters like Cersei Lannister, Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark. In this production, this conclusion resounds even louder. After the first season, one can come to the conclusion that the women involved in court intrigues are pawns in the hands of power-hungry men. When one of them tries to get out of this “prison”, if at all possible, the consequences can be dire.
Line of Dragon Press Kit from Galapagos Films
Perfect times for Cersei
In the series, I was most pleased with the return to the complicated and intricate court intrigues, which, however, receded into the background in the last seasons of Game of Thrones . The fantasy themes continue to be evident, mainly due to the dragons that are central to the plot. However, they do not obscure the most interesting conflicts between the characters, but only enrich them. Cersei would have felt like heaven in those days, because her intellect and manipulative skills would have been perfect then.
Repeat?
For the first half of the season, I was afraid that I would get the plot of Game of Thrones a second time , but in a slightly different setting, with different faces. I was positively surprised. Indeed, some themes are repeated, some situations are predictable, but it is still something completely new, new conflicts and intrigues.
Visually, it’s a real spectacle. Current technological possibilities allow you to feel the atmosphere of Westeros even more. The CGI makes a huge impression, the set design, costumes and make-up are breathtaking, and the whole experience is emphasized by the phenomenal music, which has already found its deserved place on my playlist.
Line of Dragon Press Kit from Galapagos Films
Dragons on the plate
These days, hardly anyone reaches for DVDs, although the one with Dragonborn from the Galapagos publishing house is worth attention. It looks very aesthetic on the shelf, thanks to the nice cover, and what’s more – it contains a lot of additional materials. It’s not every day that you come across DVD releases with so many extras.
Nine short films await viewers in this edition ( Welcome to Westeros, A New Reign , Return to Westeros , Before the Dance: An Illustrated Story Starring George RR Martin , The Power of the Empire , Great Houses , Familiar Places, Return to the Seven Kingdoms , Heroes ) to bring the backstage of the production of the series closer and explain some matters related to it. George RR Martin himself speaks in some of them.
Dracarys!
I’m glad I finished watching Game of Thrones so late – otherwise I would have had to wait a really long time before I could get my hands on Dragonline . I had a good time during the show. The first episodes may actually be a bit slower, but after that, the merry-go-round of intrigue and drama continues to rival the first seasons of the original series.
